


Common Ground and Comfort

by SilverMirror12



Category: Disney - All Media Types, Disney Princesses, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bonding, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, POV Male Character, Platonic Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-03
Updated: 2012-07-03
Packaged: 2017-11-09 02:26:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/450240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverMirror12/pseuds/SilverMirror12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The dwarfs arrive in time to stop Snow White from biting into the apple, but the queen escapes. Grumpy and Snow White deal with the aftermath.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Common Ground and Comfort

Grumpy sat cross-legged outside the bedroom door. His pick axe laid across his knees, clenched tightly, and his eyes darted around the quiet house. The rest of the dwarfs were scattered downstairs, taking up posts at the windows and door. Some of the blundering fools had already succumbed to slumber - Sleepy's snores were unmistakable - but Grumpy forced his eyes to remain open. They'd come too close, today. Vigilance was key.

The crickets and frogs were making noise outside. Doc was muttering to himself to stay awake, and Grumpy rolled his eyes at the sound of his tongue constantly twisting itself over. Dopey was sitting at the bottom of the stairs. His little face was white and drawn, and he looked like _he_ had been the one nearly poisoned that day. Grumpy almost felt sorry for the kid. Dopey was a simpleton, but his heart was too big for his own good. Not a good combination.

Not that Grumpy's heart was infallible, either. It was painful to realize, so Grumpy did what he did best. Spat at the ground and ignored it.

The door creaked open. Grumpy was already on his feet before he realized it was the door _behind_ him. Snow White's face peeked out from the small crack. Her eyes were lined with the beginnings of dark circles, and red from tears. Her hair was messy from tossing and turning, and her dress was wrinkled.

Grumpy still thought she was the prettiest female he'd ever seen. Not that he'd ever admit such a ridiculous thing.

"Oh," she said quietly, looking surprised that he was still awake. "I'm sorry. Did I disturb you?"

"'Course not. I'm like a hawk." Grumpy widened one eye, and her lips twitched up. "Whadda you doin' up?" he groused.

Snow White looked down at her feet, clutching the door frame. "I couldn't sleep," she admitted. "I was going to..." She trailed off, and sniffled. Grumpy felt an annoying mixture of impatience for her frailty and the will to protect it. "I suppose I don't know what I was going to do," she finished.

"Nothin' ain't gettin' in the house," Grumpy assured her. He lifted his axe. "Nothin' that'll walk out on its own, anyway."

The idea of violence made Snow shrink back, but she nodded in gratitude. "You're all so kind to me. I don't know how to thank you."

"Stay alive," Grumpy snapped. Snow White winced, her eyes dropping with guilt. Grumpy felt bad, but he kept the scowl on his face, pushing on. "Yer lucky those animals got to us in time. One more second, an' she'da been cacklin' over yer corpse."

Snow White gripped the door, her already pale skin turning whiter at the knuckles. "I didn't..." Her eyes watered, and she bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I didn't think she could..." She gesticulated vaguely. " _Change_ like that."

"She's an ol' witch," Grumpy said with a sharp nod. "I warned ya."

"Yes, you did." Snow White wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry, I'll leave you alone now. Please, try to get some sleep."

The door closed before Grumpy could say anything. He stared at the door, mouth still half open, and tugged at his beard angrily. Damn women. Making him feel bad for speaking the truth. It wasn't _his_ fault the girl was so flighty and trusting!

Dopey's eyes were on him from the bottom of the stairs, and the youngest dwarf actually looked angry. The effect was something akin to a wet kitten, but it was earnest and made Grumpy scowl back extra hard, snapping, "What're you lookin' at?"

Dopey pointed to the door. _Apologize_.

"Fer what? I ain't done nothin'!"

Sleepy snorted, turning over. Grumpy glared at him. He was more useful than the dolts here, that was for sure.

Dopey was still frowning at him, and his arm hadn't moved, rigidly pointing at the door.

"You'll freeze that way." Grumpy sat back down, crossing his arms. "An' I'll _laugh_!"

Five minutes ticked by. Then ten. Then fifteen.

Dopey's arm was trembling with strain, but he had indeed frozen in his disapproving pose, and clearly wasn't going to move until Grumpy apologized to Snow White. The eyes boring into the back of his head was giving Grumpy the willies, and he looked back at Dopey. "All right! I'll talk to 'er tomorrah. Ya happy?"

Dopey blinked, shaking his head and pointing to the real Happy, who was dozing off in the sink. Grumpy smacked his forehead with his hand. "I ain't goin' in there _now_ ," he said.

Dopey stared at him. _Why not?_

"There's a woman in there!" Grumpy waved his arms. "Ya don't go inta a woman's bedroom! Their wiles are the strongest at night!"

Dopey smiled, and shook his head. _Not the princess._ She wasn't wicked at all.

Grumpy harumphed, and swung his pick axe at the air. He thought of Snow White, and her scared, tired little face. She'd nearly been killed today. The dwarfs had chased the Queen through the woods, but she had pulled something out of her cloak and thrown it on the ground, disappearing in a puff of white smoke. She'd be back; everyone knew it. No one more than Snow, now that her illusions of safety had been shattered again.

Grumpy took off his hat, rubbed his head, and slapped it back on. "Okay. Okay, _fine_. Stop lookin' at me like that." He stood, and raised his fist as if to knock. He hesitated, then scowled and pushed the door open. He didn't want the other dwarfs to know what he was doing. Then it might look like he cared.

Snow White wasn't in the beds. She was sitting at the window. One of the little bluebirds was in her hand, and she was singing to it quietly. She startled when the door opened, and Grumpy's face fell of its own accord at the sheer _terror_ on her face, before she recognized him.

"Just me," he said, for emphasis.

"Oh. Um..." She lifted her hand, and the bird fluttered away. "Do you need something?"

"Just wanted ya to know... Uh." Grumpy rubbed the back of his neck. He was no good at this. "It ain't yer fault, what happened. The ol' Queen's a tricky beast. Woulda fooled anyone with that disguise."

Snow hugged her knees to her chest. "Yes. I just...she was just an old lady. An apple peddler." Snow White sniffed again, remembered the twisted gleam in the 'harmless' woman's eyes. "I was hesitant, at first...but I thought she'd send more people after me. Not come herself. I've never known her to leave the castle."

"Jealousy's a relentless dragon," Grumpy said, waggling his finger.

Snow White nodded. "I don't know why she hates me. I've always been nice to her. Even when she made me scrub the steps and fetch water, that wasn't so bad. I like working," Snow admitted with a small smile. "It's not so difficult, if you do it with a song."

"Heh." She would look at it that way. A song and a smile could better any situation. Grumpy admitted to being grudgingly impressed with that aspect of her. The work ethic, not the Be Cheerful All the Time thing.

"I wish I knew why she's doing this," Snow continued sadly.

"Because yer beautiful." Grumpy clapped a hand over his mouth, and Snow White looked at him in surprise. He scowled at her. "Well, don't gape at me like a codfish! It's true. The whole kingdom knows it."

"I know, but..." Snow White smiled, truly, for the first time since the dwarfs had burst through the cottage door that stormy afternoon, terrified they'd find her dead on the floor. "I've never heard you say that before."

Grumpy picked at the tip of his axe with a nail. "I ain't one for compliments."

"I know. But knowing that you care makes me happy."

Grumpy was grateful for the darkness as he felt his face flush. He cleared his throat. "Well, just wanted ta tell you that. We're gonna start leavin' one of us home with ya every day." He stuck a thumb at his chest, saying before he could stop himself, " _I'm_ the first one."

He didn't know how she moved so fast, but the next thing Grumpy knew Snow White was on her knees before him, hugging him tightly and crying. He flailed, keeping his head tilted high enough so it wouldn't be tempted by her wiles (wicked, wicked wiles), and snapped at her to let go of him. She didn't, letting out the shock and fear a second murder attempt had brought upon her. Eventually, Grumpy stilled, realizing she wasn't trying to seduce him. She was just a young girl, and she was very scared.

Grumpy awkwardly patted her on the head. When she didn't let go he pet her ebony hair lightly, like she was a skittish doe. Grumpy remembered his own, brief flash of fear from earlier that day. He'd been the first one to burst through the door, his stomach sick at the thought of seeing her lifeless body. The sight of Snow White curled up in the corner, shaking and surrounded by raccoons and rabbits, had nearly made his legs stop working.

He opened his mouth to say something - comfort, promise, confess - but Snow White was pulling away, wiping her blotchy face. Though Grumpy had a feeling that, even in death, Snow would shame the angels with her beauty.

"Thank you, Grumpy. Thank you so much." She offered him one of her bright smiles, and kissed his cheek. It was a sweet kiss, innocent, and it made Grumpy blush again. "I'll try baking that gooseberry pie again for you tomorrow," she promised.

He stared at her, and pushed his hat low on his brow. "Hmph. Well. Get some sleep, then. Ain't gonna do us no good if you drop dead of exhaustion."

"All right." She smiled at him, standing as Grumpy stalked out the door. "You too, Grumpy. We already have one Sleepy in the house."

Grumpy snorted. "G'night princess."


End file.
